We Do

George Laing's monument at the gate of St. Paul's Cemetery, Halifax, c1860.
Nova Scotia Archives.

Archival Research

Generally speaking, archives hold two types of historical material. The first is public records -- the papers associated with various levels of government operation. The second is private material -- essentially documents from all other sources considered worth saving. In Canada, public archives hold both types of records within the (federal, provincial, county, district or municipal) jurisdictions they serve. Many private archives are also operated by businesses and institutions such as private foundations, churches, clubs and other groups.

To the uninitiated, it is seldom clear where to look for specific information. Even people who are accustomed to doing modern research can have trouble finding historical documentation because yesterday's world did not operate by today's rules. Still, every period in the past was as organized, as logical and as complex as our world is today. Evidence of most activities has survived, but finding it in another time period can be a daunting task!

At Heritage Research Associates Inc. we have performed detailed research in most archives containing information on Canada, encompassing all geographic regions of the country. We have researched a broad range of documentation through all time periods of Canadian history. If evidence exists, we can find it. We often undertake complex research projects requiring professional conclusions on the basis of historical information -- but we also perform simple inquiries.

Who uses our service?
Anyone who wants to know about the past and is having difficulty finding information. We do legal research, we also service research professionals in other parts of Canada and the world who require information from documents in the National Archives or federal government files or Canadian sources. Any project requiring archival research in multiple Canadian archives -- archival research and analysis form the basis of a large proportion of the projects we undertake. We regret we do not do geneology.

Why call on us

We are trained to perform archival research. We have extensive experience in locating and using archival materials, particularly in Canada. We are located in Ottawa where the National Archives holds documents from across Canada. We are experienced in locating difficult federal government archival materials. We are familiar with the systems, policies, and holdings of most Canadian archives -- and many archives around the world that hold Canadian materials. We have access to experienced researchers in all parts of Canada, and work in both official languages. We can create methodologies to refine the extent of archival inquiry necessary to answer particular questions.